时间:2025-04-02 17:01:48 来源:网络整理编辑:休閑
Some electrons are speeding above Earth's surface at nearly the speed of light, and NASA isn't sure
Some electrons are speeding above Earth's surface at nearly the speed of light, and NASA isn't sure why.
According to a new study, the tiny, charged particles were found accelerating to high speeds in an unexpected part of space, farther from Earth than previously realized.
The region these fast electrons were found in, known as the foreshock, is the part of the solar system where charged particles streaming from the sun are thought to be reflected back from Earth's magnetic field toward the star.
SEE ALSO:NASA is firing lasers on Mars — here’s whyUntil now, however, scientists didn't think the region could speed up particles to the degree that was observed
“This is a puzzling case because we’re seeing energetic electrons where we don’t think they should be, and no model fits them,” David Sibeck, a co-author of the new study published in the journal Physical Review Letterssaid in a statement.
“There is a gap in our knowledge, something basic is missing,” Sibeck said. The study evaluated data from a NASA program known as THEMIS — a mission involving five identical space probes tasked with studying Earth’s auroras and the radiation environment around our planet.
Charged particles streaming from the sun out into the rest of the solar system can harm satellites in orbit and even people living in space. That radiation needs to be understood in order to guard against its worst effects.
“This affects pretty much every field that deals with high-energy particles, from studies of cosmic rays to solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which have the potential to damage satellites and affect astronauts on expeditions to Mars,” Lynn Wilson, another author of the study, said in the statement.
Charged particles speeding toward Earth from the sun encounter an area of space called the "bow shock." That region is something like a protective zone that helps shield our planet from the solar wind.
The bow shock has a magnetic field within it, which slows high-energy particles down, according to NASA. Most of those particles are diverted away from Earth, but some do bounce back toward the sun, creating the foreshock region, where the electron superhighway was discovered.
Before this new research, scientists knew that electrons in the foreshock could move quickly. Researchers have suggested that the particles speed up when they move across the bow shock multiple times, NASA said.
But the new study has added to NASA's understanding of how these electrons accelerate.
It seems as though some kind of electromagnetic activity in the foreshock itself might be accelerating the particles to unexpected speeds, the study suggests.
Here's what 'Game of Thrones' actors get up to between takes2025-04-02 16:55
萊科暴殄天物?海港夏窗引援力度最大,為何燒鵝做成鹹菜2025-04-02 16:48
中超第17輪最佳候選 :何塞2025-04-02 16:43
歐冠重大改製 !將赴中國OR美國比賽 巴黎首當其衝2025-04-02 16:18
Watch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestream2025-04-02 15:54
搜狐體育誠聘世界杯實習編輯/直播員/通訊員2025-04-02 15:28
河南隊官方 :迪力木拉提踝關節骨折 將於今天下午進行手術2025-04-02 15:17
武磊讓萊科賽後破例單獨表揚:他展示了自己能力2025-04-02 15:02
Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign2025-04-02 14:42
國安眼光獨到 !三前任主帥歐洲再就業 大牌教練或迎中超絕響2025-04-02 14:22
Australian football makes history with first LGBT Pride Game2025-04-02 16:44
1.3億鎊少年紅軍挖不過皇馬 ? 改搶巴薩4200萬神鋒2025-04-02 16:44
再就業 !前國安主帥比利奇執教沃特福德 簽約1年半2025-04-02 16:43
外援集體複蘇泰山追至距榜首僅4分 重燃衛冕希望2025-04-02 16:38
Snapchat is about to explode in popularity, report says2025-04-02 16:35
謝暉:申花很有戰術素養 林良銘隻能從替補打起2025-04-02 16:08
中超第18輪精彩瞬間:武磊送飛吻 鄭智李瑋鋒擁抱2025-04-02 15:40
瑕不掩瑜 !13賽季奮鬥 49球的張稀哲已成國安傳奇2025-04-02 15:37
These glasses hide a fitness tracker on your face2025-04-02 15:19
再就業 !前國安主帥比利奇執教沃特福德 簽約1年半2025-04-02 15:01